Eyeball to eyeball, a tiny blink

There will be no let-up in the Army8217;s presence along the border but as a first sign of easing tensions, India has decided to resume gra...

There will be no let-up in the Army8217;s presence along the border but as a first sign of easing tensions, India has decided to resume granting leave to personnel posted there.

8216;8216;The armed forces posted at the border will be allowed leave from end-June. Each unit can grant leave to 8-10 per cent of the staff at a time,8217;8217; said sources.

Officers who had been transferred but asked to stay put during the month-long hostility, have also been told that they can join their new assignments. They have been allowed to take their 10-day joining leave.

Earlier, Army personnel posted at the border were given leave only in emergency cases, and that decision was left to the Commanding Officer of the unit.

The timing of this decision coincides with the scheduled visit by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee to Kashmir. He reaches the Valley in the last week of June to attend the Kashmir 2020 Vision celebrations and as The Indian Express reported, this time his visit is expected to be 8216;8216;political8217;8217; in nature.

On the deputation of India8217;s High Commissioner Harsh Bhasin to Islamabad, sources said that New Delhi is awaiting a positive signal from Pakistan before sending him there.

India8217;s emphasis is on Pakistan handing over some of the terrorists on the list of 20 for further de-escalation of tension between the two countries, sources said.

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This mood was also reflected by External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh who said today that there was nothing 8216;8216;official8217;8217; about sending Bhasin to Islamabad yet.

8216;8216;What is official in papers is the name that has been selected to be the next High Commissioner who goes to Islamabad,8217;8217; Singh told reporters after a two-hour meeting of Cabinet Committee on Security CCS.

There was possibility of further diplomatic measures to lower tension, he said, but a conducive atmosphere was necessary before the two countries could commence direct talks. 8216;8216;We are ready for a dialogue. But for the dialogue to be held, a conducive atmosphere has to be created.8217;8217; He ruled out the possibility of deploying foreign forces on the Line of Control LoC. 8216;8216;There is no proposal for any other forces from any other country other than Indian forces to be on the LoC.8217;8217;

He said the US had proposed placing sensors on the LoC to monitor militant influx into Kashmir, but the terms and conditions of the proposal would be discussed between the Defence Ministry and the US government.

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8216;8216;The decision is only to study this matter. How it is to be done, who does it etc., there is no decision on it,8217;8217; he added.

During his India visit, US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld had suggested the placing of sensors on the LoC to keep tab on infiltration from across the border.